Texas City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Stafford
Texas City
Opportunity
59 · Top 43%
vs45 · Bottom 27%
Growth
72 · Top 14%
vs79 · Top 6%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs83 · Top 10%
Physical resilience
43 · Bottom 34%
vs60 · Top 49%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 24%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs47 · Bottom 43%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
73 · Top 22%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Stafford | Texas City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,401 | 55,364 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $87,432 | $68,776 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,516 | $34,313 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,482/sq mi | 835/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $257,700 | $217,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,519 | $1,307 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 38.7% | 56.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 6.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.4% | 20.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.0% | 16.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 586 | 755 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 33.7 | 13.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -15.9% | -7.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 45°F | 48°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.3 | 36.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 28 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.56 | 14.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.0% | 38.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.5% | 35.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.0% | 69.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Stafford
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Texas City
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Stafford
67
Your Score
63
Area Score
Texas City
67
Your Score
65
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Stafford, TX · Texas City, TX · How this is calculated: methodology